Balmy in Bali

 (A little late posting this entry .This all happened in  August but as you know I lost my Dad.... so I continue  and try to catch up.)

August 

A Holiday in Indonesia. Swapping the snow for the Sun.. 

Queenstown Airport...bitterly cold ,clear and beautiful

What a truly inspiring Island ...The Arts ...The culture, rites and ceremonies....the flora and fauna ....The performing arts and music.....the hand crafts....the people....I really don't know where to begin.

The beach is as good a place as any because we spent the majority of our time on the beaches.

It was a short walk from our Hotel to the beach ...or we could hop on the golf cart...

It was around 35 degrees C every day and even with a good cloud cover the sun was burning

The beaches were constantly cleaned and cleared of rubbish by council workers....mainly woman...I noted.

I loved how there were kites everywhere...

..and of course I loved the sunsets..

There is something infinitely calming about the lapping of waves and the cry of sea birds.

Bali is a wonderful Island to explore....

Bali has so much to offer .The people are super friendly and the food is tasty and reasonably priced.

Being foodies we certainly spent a lot of time trying all of the delicious fruits and foods.

I suggest you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indonesian_dishes

to see all the dishes that were so readily available and all the Sambals (hot chilli type sauce) available.

Stark reminders of the Dutch ....(oh Dear)

 At one stage we were taken to a wonderful family owned store that had a cafe....well actually it was a long table with an audience of locals and their children that watched us eat.This funny little shop turned out the best meal we ate during our stay.

 A humble kitchen by all accounts...a long wait  but the delicious food produced here was worth it and guess what..... The only time we didn't get a Bali belly after eating was here.

 The oven going all day ...talk about slaving over a hot stove

 One of our wonderful cooks.....

 Wayananother of our singing,dancing, laughing  and loveable chefs....

 Our lovely wee cook Wayan  danced for me and sang ...she was 4 foot and weighed about 5 stone she stood on a wooden box beside the stove and needed both hands and strong arms to stir the pot of vegetables.  My oldest grand daughter is bigger then Wayan but my lord she is a force to be reckoned with in that kitchen.....I loved her.

I will continue  these installments ....

Writers often torture themselves trying to get the words right. Sometimes you must lower your expectations and just finish it.” 

― Don Roff

But right now I have a booming garden needing my attention and the sun is beaming into my living room...

Spring Has Sprung

                             A time for lambs daffodils and a spot of painting 

Driving to Tuatapere a rural town on the western coast of Southland it was so obvious to see that spring was well and truly the season.
This is a late post for early spring.
I took all of the photo's on the 9th September and had good intentions of continuing the post but that writers block has certainly hung around.

On the way to Western Southland I passed through the seaside town of Riverton, The town is has great views of  the Takitimu Mountains  and is situated on the south eastern shores of the Jacobs River Estuary.
It is fondly referred to as The Riviera of the south. No visit is complete without a coffee .

The next place that always pulls at my heart is a sleepy little seaside hollow called Cosy Nook
The tiny houses are so exquisite and sheltered from the buffering winds by giant rocks .The sound of thousands of stones being washed back and forward and the cry of gulls made it very hard not to snuggle up in a warm sheltered spot on the shore and stay just to soak it all in.

Just out of the hollow lives a NZ painter named Nigel Brown (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Brown)
His protest caught my eye.There on a windy hill surrounded by the sea, the baaing of newly born lambs the roar of wind stands a silent yet so audible protest.

I went to Southland to paint and have lessons from a very inspirational painter. A truly gifted artist and wonderful father husband and teacher. He teaches at workshops and usually there are many others he has to help but this time it was one on one.

Driving home the sky was stunning I couldn't resist taking lots of photos of clouds.I have a fascination with clouds at the moment.

Did you know New Zealand is known as Aotearoa

The original derivation of Aotearoa is not known for certain. The common translation is "the land of the long white cloud".The word can be broken up as: ao = cloud, dawn, daytime or world, tea = white, clear or bright and roa = long. 

Country Roads take me home to the place I belong.......John Denver

Oh mein Papa

This may well be one of the hardest blog posts I have wanted to write ...

What you  don't see,  is that attempts I have made  to put something on this page have been thwarted by too much emotion ....grief...getting the better of me . I clearly  now understand writers block .

I have had to give death and dying much thought over this last year .

Losing my dearest friend..
Being given some tragic news that has and will change lives forever....
Learning of another friends struggle with an incurable illness
Losing another friend to cancer 
and then

 losing my Dad.......

Losing really isn't the right word , I don't believe I have lost......In a way I have gained....yes I have gained  so much .
..I have found a peace with it all .
 I hear and see and smell and even sometimes catch myself talking to my best beloveds, 

I have found a way to cope with the pain...I have found ways to ease the burden of loss..
In the losing I have found.

 ..As my grand daughter so aptly put it one day , when she overheard me telling a friend about someone whom had lost their baby.....
How can you lose a baby ...thats silly I would go find her if I was her Mother.......

I am so often reminded of the fragility of life and how , if and where possible, we gain by extending love to all around us.
I love so many things in this world and , many people as well..
People that have touched my life.

I have immersed myself in nature and its timely as now the Spring is here bringing with it all that is new.
 I have painted several pictures which I will exhibit in the next Art exhibition....I have found the courage to do this where before I never felt good enough...my friend suggested I had nothing to lose.
I have joined the gym again and embraced my old rival Ms Physical Exertion.
I have purchased a new piece of music to learn and spend 30 minutes each evening learning to play the piece.

I have farewelled a part of my  life as it was and welcomed a new life for myself.


“As death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have formed during the last few years such close relationships with this best and truest friend of mankind that death's image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling.” 

― Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 Oh Mein Papa waar eine wunderbare Clown

I have many happy memories of my father .He really could be a bit of a clown..

.He would often sing at the top of his voice phrases like O Mamma Mia ...or  Open the door Richard, O solo me O (sic)  or Hallelujah 

He loved Mozart and Vivaldi especially vivaldi's four seasons his favourite being summer and would sit and explain the music in a Peter and The Wolf fashion.

He loved to paint and always had something on his easel

One year he painted huge Sun flowers on our shed wall  then when the blooms had faded he painted a landscape.

He was funny ,quirky , political , musical. and artistic .

He chose a challenging life for himself .

I hope he enjoyed his life  for the most part.

Dad loved 

Ginevea  a type of Gin, salted peanuts, dark chocolate...coffee, soup, fresh home baked bread, nasi goreng  and fried chicken .

My son said Opa loved butter fired in chicken .

I am thankful to have had Dad in my life for 55 years ....

Dad went to sleep and didn't wake up .I console myself in that ...A gentle way to leave this world.

Dad died whilst  we were  in bali on a holiday that was a bit about discovering the war that Dad had been a part of for 4 years.

It was 2 days before we were due home.

I have his gifts , a calendar of Indonesian art , a village scene painting, a  small statue in brass and copper and  a story ( a later blog post) of Bali .....The indonesia we fell in love with.

I have put them in his room  and closed the door. just for now.

Soon I will clear out his room ...maybe I will make it a playroom for the children just for a while.....

Its nice to fill a room with joy

Go easy everyone...make life easy ....make it fun......Change the things you can and accept that some things will never change so say farewell to them if they offend  or accept them graciously if they don't.

Life is short.

Live it well

.